Edith Södergran

Life

Born: 4 April 1892, St Petersburg

Died: 24 June 1923, Raivola

Biography

Edith Irene Södergran was a Finland-Swedish poet. In 1907, Edith's father died from tuberculosis and in the following year, Edith was also diagnosed with the disease. She was sent to a sanatorium, but did not feel at ease there. The feelings of captivity caused by the disease and the sanatorium are a recurring theme in her poetry.

In October 1911, Edith and her mother traveled to Arosa in Switzerland where Edith was examined by different doctors. After a few months, she was transferred to the Davos-Dorf sanatorium. In May 1912, her condition had improved enough for her to return home. Eventually, the disease returned and Edith Södergran died in 1923 in her home in Raivola. She was 31 years old.

Södergran did not receive much recognition in her lifetime, but is now regarded one of Finland's foremost poets and is considered to be one of the greatest modernist poets of the Nordic countries.

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Settings of text by Edith Södergran

• De främmande länderna (Eva Toller)
• Du som aldrig gått ut ur ditt trädgårdsland (Eva Toller)
• En strimma hav (Eva Toller)
• En önskan (Eva Toller)
• Höst (Eva Toller)
• Höstens bleka sjö (Eva Toller)
• Höstens dagar (Eva Toller)
• Höstens sista blomma (Eva Toller)
• Irrande moln (Eva Toller)
• Nocturne (Eva Toller)
• Skogssjön (Eva Toller)
• Stjärnenatten (Eva Toller)